Vehicle-axle



(No Model.)

C. B. BROWN.

VEHICLE AXLE.

Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

No. 399,0I3.

N4 PETERS. Fhmm-Lnhegupmn washngxon, D. C,

UNITED STATES ATnNT trice.

CHARLES B. BROY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 399,013, dated March 5,1889, Application iiled October l, 1888. Serial No. 286,833. (No model.)

To all whom it may ootce-n:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in lagon-Axle Bars, of which thefollowing` is a specification.

My invention relates to iron axles for wagons.

The obj ect of my invention is to provide an axle-bar of a simple,light, and strong construction.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,andin which si1nilar let-ters of reference indicate like parts, Figure lis a side elevation of a device elnbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a short section of the axle-bar, showing the sainebefore its ends are shaped to enter the skein. Fig. 3 is a plan Viewshowing one end of the finished axle-bar- Fig. 4,- is a erosssection onthe line e el of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a orossseotion on line 5 5 ofFig. 3.

In said drawings, A represents an iron bar havingthree webs, a, a', andd2, with two channels, a3 ct", between them. At each end of the axle Athe two outer webs, o. ft2, are squeezed into contact with the iniddlewel), et', and drawn out to form the solid tapering end a of the axle,which lits in the skein B. This tapering solid end of the axle a5 ispreferably rectangular in cross-section. The extreme end of the axle isdrawn out into a round rod, u, which is l'urnisheiil with screw-threadsal to receive the nut l). The webs (t o? at the point where they arecrowded together are somewhat curved, as shown at c. The outer walls ofthe webs o d? are at right angles to the bottoni face of the bar A; butthe webs o d, as well as the middle web, a', are sonrewhat tapering ineross-seclion, as is clearly shown in Fig. .i. lhese webs may be formedupon the bar by rolling; or, if desired, the middle web may be welded inplace between the two outer webs. The middle web serves to give, inconnection with the two outer webs, great strength to the axle, and alsoto give sufficient body to properly fit within the socket of the skein.It also strengthens the axle at the inner end of the skein, which thepoint where ordinary axles customarily break.

I hereby disclaim the devices shown and del scribed in Patent No.36,914, to Post, of No Veniber Il, 1802; No. 243,730, io Schreyer, ot'July 5, 1881, and. No. 308,531, to Theren, of November 25,1884.

In my invention the channel-bar axle Vis pro vided with three websextending frein one end to the other, the three webs being squeezed orforced together at each end of the bar to form the tapering ends orspindle port-ion of the axle. By reason of the central web the hollowspace between the outer webs is diminished, so that the iwo outer webswhen crowded against this inner central web will forni a gradual curve,as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and give this shank portion ofthe axle1 which Aunites the niain or iniddle part to the spindle part, aforni of great strength to resist both vertical and lateral strains.This is a matter of the greatest importance in the practicalconstruction of the axle, because it is this shank portion of the axlebetween the end of the skein and the hound-bolt wherein the axlesusually spring or break. This third or central web also at the sainetiine strengthens the en tire axle. Vhere, for example, as in theTherien patent, No. 308,531, the axle is made of a channel-bar havingbut two webs, the axles I, lind from practical experience in theirinaiiufacture and use, are always giving out either by becoming sprungor broken at the shank port-ion. This is due to the fact that the hollowspace between the two webs of the Therion patent axle necessarily sogreat that the two webs thereof when crowded together lo form the .solidspindle portion of the axle necessarily forni a sharp bend or shoulderat the point whore the spindle portion unites with the axle. This willbe apparentto those skilled in the art from amore inspection of Figs. 2and 3 of thefl`h'erien patent. ln endeavering toroniedy this deficiencyor defect in the 'lherion axleI nia-de this present iinprcwenient, myfirst experiment being to weld two short central webs in the Therienaxle, one near each end thereof or at the shank portion thereof, so thatthe outer webs might be crowded against the central short webs withoutforming1 an abrupt bend or shoulder. By further experiments I found thatstill bet-ter results could be producedby forin- IOO ing the aXle with acentral web throughout its entire length. Where the three Webs arecrowded together, as indicated at Fig. 3 and in the cross-section, Fig.5, great strength is given to the solid tapering spindle portion of theaxle, the effect being similar, or on the same principle as appliesWhere a number of boards set edgewise are bolted or secured together.

Another diiiiculty which I found in the practical construction of theTherien axle Was the frequent breakage of the cast skeins which ttherein, when the axles Were in use, by reason of the knife-like bearingof the two widely-separated Webs of the Tllerien axle on the shell ofthe skein. My central Web divides the space between the two outer Webs,and the three Webs combined give in effect a lat bearing upon the shellof the skein very similar t0 What it would be if the axle were made of asolid instead of a channel bar.

I claim* 1. The rolled channel axle-bar having three Webs extending fromone end of the axle to the other, said Webs being squeezed together atthe ends of the bar to form tapering ends, said tapering ends unitingwith the middle part of the axle on gradual curves Without formingabrupt bends or shoulders, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with an axle-bar having three parallel vertical Webssqueezed together at the ends of the axle, of axle-skeins fitting uponthe tapering ends of said axle-bar, said tapering ends uniting with themiddle part of the axle on gradual curves Without forming abrupt bendsor shoulders, substantially as specified.

. CHAS. B. BROWN. v Vitnesses:

l-I. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADcocK.

